Literacy Library and Roleplaying Aids

[Kiba_no_Inu]

Here, I'll list out some commonly misused spellings and/or grammatical errors that are often seen in writing.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to ask, and I'll do my best to answer or resolve the problem.  

[Kiba_no_Inu]

Commonly Misused Words

Word - Explanation - Correct Context - Incorrect Context

it's - it's is a contraction for "it is" - "It's a miracle!" she exclaimed. - It couldn't believe it's eyes.
its - its is the possessive form of "it" - Its bone was gone! - "Its okay," she said.

they're - they're is a contraction for "they are" - "They're alright!" she cried gratefully - "They're they are!"
their - their is the possessive form of "they" - Their cake was nearly done! - "Their going to pay!"
there - there is the opposite of "here" and indicates a location - There were many cookies to choose from. - The group settled there issues.

wonder - wonder refers to the state of someone thinking - "And then I began to wonder.." - I continued to wonder through the woods.
wander - wander refers to a form of movement - She didn't know how long she would wander the country. - I wander who that could be..

through - to go into something and go out the other side, to be done with something - He ran through the tunnel. / He was finally through with the test! - He through the ball as hard as he could.
threw - to toss something quickly - She threw the ball at the door. - She was threw with this stuff! / It went right threw the tree!

lose - opposite of win, present tense of "lost" - "I can't lose this game!" / She didn't want to lose her car keys. - The string on her coat was lose.
loose - not tight - The pocket was full of loose change. - "Don't loose your passport!"

your - possessive form of "you" - "Excuse me, but you forgot your bag!" - "Your going to have to leave, ma'am."
you're - contraction for "you are" - "You're out of order!" - "You're mom is hot."

were - past subjective of "be" - They were dumbfounded. - "Were have you been?"
where - in or to a position or place - She went where the tide took her. - "What where the numbers again?"
we're - contraction for "we are" - "We're going on a field trip!" - "What we're his methods?"

effect - the change after a cause or action / special lighting or trickery used in plays, film, etc. (special effects) - "What effect would that have on me?" / The fire effect in the movie was spectacular! - She didn't know how the drug would effect her.
affect - make a difference to or have an effect on - The cold began to affect his health. - The music had a soothing affect.

weather - the state of the atmosphere and its effects - The weather wasn't safe to drive in. - He couldn't choose weather or not he should leave the boy.
whether - doubt or choice between two alternatives - He didn't know whether he'd go or stay. - "Oh, boy, the whether sure is nice today!"

then - used for time - Then there was a huge splash in the water! - "I like this candy more then that one!"
than - used for comparison - The peaches were better than the apples. - "We'll eat, and than we can go."

lie - when a person or object assumes a resting position - The boy decided to lie down for a rest. - She would lie the toy on the bed later.
lay - when an object is being put down - He paused to lay the pillow on the bed. - She was going to lay down for the day.

set - to put an object down - They set the bowl on the table. - She set down for a rest.
sat - when someone or something seats oneself - One by one, they sat on the chairs. - The boy sat the toy on the chest.

Common Spelling Errors

Most of these can be found if you have an SpellCheck system on your internet or if you type in a document (Word, etc.)
A larger list can be found here.

Word - Common Misspelling - Context

weird - wierd - "Boy, that was weird!"
definitely - definately - There was definitely something fishy going on.
a lot - alot - There were a lot of strawberries to pick.

Common Grammatical Errors

Many of these are from EasyWriter 20 Grammatical Errors

Error - Incorrect Usage - Corrected Usage

using apostrophes with possessive pronouns - The greedy woman claimed everything as her's. Unfortunately, it was all their's. - The greedy woman claimed everything as hers. Unfortunately, it was all theirs.
missing a comma after an introductory element - After looking to the left he then looked to the right. / Yes that was the case. - After looking to the left, he then looked to the right. / Yes, that was the case.
vague pronoun reference - The kitten hit the ball, and it rolled across the room. - The kitten hit the ball, and the ball rolled across the room.
missing a comma in a compound sentence - The boy sat in his room and he groaned when his mom barged in. - The boy sat in his room, and he groaned when his mom barged in.
no commas before and after a descriptive clause - The cat who was red and white knew nothing of outside. - The cat, who was red and white, knew nothing of outside.
wrong or missing verb ending (tense) - The dogs were run after the bone. One caught the bone but drop it. - The dogs were running after the bone. One caught the bone but dropped it.
wrong or missing preposition - The men rode in their horses Georgia. - The men rode on their horses to Georgia.
comma splice (i.e. commas in sentences that should be split) - She rode the train to San Francisco, she didn't look back. - She rode the train to San Francisco. She didn't look back. / She rode the train to San Francisco, and she didn't look back.
misplaced possessive apostrophe - The dogs' bone was his and his alone. He still wanted the all of the other dog's toys, though. - The dog's bone was his and his alone. He still wanted the all of the other dogs' toys, though.
unnecessary change in tense - The men rambled on into their phones while the secretary is watching after the paperwork. - The men rambled on into their phones while the secretary watched after the paperwork.
inappropriate change of pronoun - The puppy ate all of its kibble until he had nothing left. - The puppy ate all of his kibble until he had nothing left.
sentence fragment - Jumped over the fence. / They rode horses. Until they could ride no longer. - He jumped over the fence. / They rode horses until they could ride no longer.
wrong tense/verb form - They noticed when he done nothing. / She has went there before. - They noticed when he had done nothing. / She has been there before.
bad subject/verb agreement - They was feeling better. / The dog or the cat eat spinach. - They were feeling better. / The dog or the cat eats spinach.
missing commas in a series - The pet store had lizards fish and birds. It didn't have puppies, kittens or hamsters. - The pet store had lizards, fish, and birds. It didn't have puppies, kittens, or hamsters.
no agreement between pronoun and antecedent (refers to pronoun) - Everyone could live in peace if they just tried! - Everyone could live in peace if he or she just tried!
run-on sentence - There was nothing wrong with his body his spirit was crushed. - There was nothing wrong with his body, but his spirit was crushed.
misplaced modifier - The old people fed the birds with seeds. - The old people with seeds fed the birds.

Spicing Up Vocabulary!

Here's a list of some commonly-used words in roleplays that could be spiced up by use of a Thesaurus or otherwise to give a similar meaning but with more creative text.
Adding adverbs can also make such words more interesting.

Word : Words Like It

walk: stroll, saunter, amble, trudge, plod, stomp, trek, stride, glide, wander, tread, traipse, toddle
run: sprint, dart, race, rush, dash, hurry, scurry, bolt
jump: leap, spring, bound, hop, vault, hurdle
fly: glide, soar, hover, hang, wheel, take wing, take to the air
sit: take a seat, perch, flop
stand: rise, get to one's feet, get up, straighten up, pick oneself up, find one's feet, arise
lie down: recline, lie back, sprawl, rest, repose, lounge, loll
lay down: put, place, set, put down, deposit, rest, situate, locate, position, stick, dump

said: spoke, uttered, voiced, declared, stated, announced, remarked, observed, commented, mentioned, noted, added, replied, responded, answered, asserted, insisted
say loudly: shout, yell, cry [out], call [out], roar, howl, bellow, bawl, shriek, scream, holler
say quietly: whisper, murmur, mutter, mumble, breathe, hiss

see: discern, spot, notice, catch sight of, glimpse, spy, distinguish, detect, perceive, look at, view
understand: grasp, comprehend, follow, realize, appreciate, recognize, get the drift of, perceive, fathom, get, latch on to, catch on to, savvy, figure out, see, decipher, unravel
want: desire, wish for, hope for, fancy, care for, like, long for, yearn for, crave, hanker after, covet, need  

[Kiba_no_Inu]

Roleplaying Tips

Sometimes, we all have problems with roleplaying and keeping up the pace, other times, we have almost too much to say but don't know how to get it all out there. Below, I will list out some common problems with roleplaying and writer's block, as well as a few suggestions on how to help.
Feel free to ask questions to add on to the tips or give a few hints of your own.

Getting Good Length

Many people have issues with typing up a good sentence, let alone three to five paragraphs. I'll do my best to help out with those issues and offer some hints of advice.



Beating Writer's Block

Writer's block happens to everyone, and it's usually a difficult thing to push out of the way. I'll give some advice on just how to break it or at least lessen its size.

Quote:

Do something physical. Do the hoovering, do the washing up, rearrange your bookshelves. Letting your mind shut down for a while often helps it refocus, and you could end up with a lovely tidy home!
Get a change of scenery. Go out for a walk, or even just move to another room or another seat.
Don’t get mad, get even. Set your work aside and write for 5 minutes about the annoyance of writer’s block.
Explore your character. Write a monologue for your character, or a diary entry, or a letter to one of their friends. Not only will this give you extra insight into your character, but it might kick off a new idea.
Write a scene just for fun. Take your characters and put them somewhere unusual, write an argument between them, or even let them get a little amorous. It might not end up in your novel, but it will get you writing again.
Introduce a new character. This introduces a new energy to your work, a new perspective.
Of course, I also advocate getting a sugar rush. Have some chocolate, or coffee and cake. Yep, definitely encourage that.

For inspiration:

Go to www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days which pulls up random images recently uploaded. Write about the first picture.
Look out of your window and choose a person passing by (or from your television). What’s their name? What’s their story?
Flick on your radio or use a random song generator such as www.dailysongfix.com. Where does the song take you?
Turn your tv to a randomly chosen station, or eavesdrop on people around you. Write down the first sentence of speech you hear and make that the opening line of your work.
Check the time. Why is this moment important to someone? Are they running early or late?

via The Writing Box

Making a Believable Character

When I say "believable", I don't refer to realistic versus fantasy characters, but to characters that are solid and developed enough to seem full and palpable. I'll offer a few outlines for questions that will help develop characters, as well as tips and hints on making a character more than just words.